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Newsroom Ethics and Sports Journalists
Marie Hardin
Further, sports journalists must remember that they're part of a larger profession. The way they practice the craft reflects on anyone who works in a newsroom. The credibility of journalism is built or eroded by contributions of everyone within the profession, no matter what they cover.
Because sports journalists often aren't driven by the values and goals of journalism in general, it is no surprise that surveys show that they often do not think they need to adhere to journalism's ethical norms. This is true in relationship to the acceptance of free gifts and tickets, for instance, and "homerism" or "boosterism" in coverage of local sports teams. ESPN, through its famous self-promotion campaign ("This is SportsCenter."), has produced a number of spots designed to highlight its cozy relationship and "insider status" with sports figures and organizations.
At the same time, sports editors and reporters say in surveys that they want to adhere to the same codes of ethics as their counterparts in news. This kind of double-talk may be part of the reason that sports journalism has suffered from a "toybox" reputation in newsrooms. Further, a 2005 study by the Project for Excellence in Journalism that focused on newspaper sports pages found that they don't, indeed, deliver much in the way of serious journalism.
Yes, we need to acknowledge the unique ethical pressures faced by sports journalists. Covering the city's major (or minor) league baseball team can't be compared to covering the education or politics beat. The deadlines, the heavy reliance on sources and issues of access to those sources, among other things, are different. And journalists on non-sports beats do not face the opportunities and the pressures that sports journalists face-for example, easy access (and tickets) to high-profile sports events and ego-boosting requests to vote in prestigious hall-of-fame or award competitions for athletes.
There are other differences, too, in what media consumers want from sports journalists. Often, it's "good news only" coverage about the home team. Sports journalists who've exhibited an investigative bent haven't been well received by many fans.
Because sports journalists often aren't driven by the values and goals of journalism in general, it is no surprise that surveys show that they often do not think they need to adhere to journalism's ethical norms. This is true in relationship to the acceptance of free gifts and tickets, for instance, and "homerism" or "boosterism" in coverage of local sports teams. ESPN, through its famous self-promotion campaign ("This is SportsCenter."), has produced a number of spots designed to highlight its cozy relationship and "insider status" with sports figures and organizations.
At the same time, sports editors and reporters say in surveys that they want to adhere to the same codes of ethics as their counterparts in news. This kind of double-talk may be part of the reason that sports journalism has suffered from a "toybox" reputation in newsrooms. Further, a 2005 study by the Project for Excellence in Journalism that focused on newspaper sports pages found that they don't, indeed, deliver much in the way of serious journalism.
Yes, we need to acknowledge the unique ethical pressures faced by sports journalists. Covering the city's major (or minor) league baseball team can't be compared to covering the education or politics beat. The deadlines, the heavy reliance on sources and issues of access to those sources, among other things, are different. And journalists on non-sports beats do not face the opportunities and the pressures that sports journalists face-for example, easy access (and tickets) to high-profile sports events and ego-boosting requests to vote in prestigious hall-of-fame or award competitions for athletes.
There are other differences, too, in what media consumers want from sports journalists. Often, it's "good news only" coverage about the home team. Sports journalists who've exhibited an investigative bent haven't been well received by many fans.
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